new 10/15/02, 8/13/04
If you have visited my website, http://www.geocities.com/firesho I detail how I did it the first time. That’s the long way. No need to pull cowling, or the computer or anything else.
The way Mr. Ed does it is:
1) Loosen the clamps on the surge tank to intakes as well as to the MAF.
2) Remove bolts to back side, upper intake, from the Surge tank. remove rear upper intake. Carefully save gaskets as they are reusable.
3) Remove bolts to front side, upper intake from the Surge tank . remove front upper intake. Carefully save gaskets as they are reusable.
NOTE: About here, Mr. Ed also removes the LOWER intake housing, also with reusable gaskets. but not required.
Also, the air horns can now be removed from the surge tank at this point, for safe keeping.
4) Remove the EGR valve bolts (2) on the Drivers side. Be careful of the small metal gasket.
Its reusable but it will drop out and is DAMN hard to find again.
5) Remove both Chrome Surge tank upper braces from top of engine. Disconnect hose to the PCV valve here.
6) Disconnect one vacuum plug on back side of surge tank, center, drivers side, top.
7) Disconnect accessory brace from Surge tank, center, back 2 bolts.
8) Pull the two top bolts out of the rear surge tank braces.
This is the hardest part since they actually are on the rear and almost underneath. Its a blind job, but Mr. Ed uses a wrachet box wrench. his arms are as big as mine, so its do able.
9) Roll Surge tank forward, and out. Disconnecting from the MAF hose adapter at the same time. And there you are. 20 minutes, 30 minutes if it’s a first time, tops.
This is pretty much all there is to it. I may have one or two items out of order, but the operation should become apparent as you get into it. Get a blanket to put over the engine while you work on the rear, to help keep stuff out of the intake holes.
I wish I had known this the first time!
Enjoy.
Al Primm
When you pull the surge tank out there is a ground strap that runs from the firewall by the PCM to the lower stud on the passenger side surge tank support bracket. Before you re-install, take the stud out that has the ground strap on it and move this to the top of the surge tank support. The next time you mess with it will be a lot easier.
Paul Nimz
'97 TR
Hay All,
Just got back from test screaming the SHO. She is running great!
I had developed a miss/flutter on the way back in on a rather long highway trip at the beginning of July. Two days ago the missing became rather unbearable.
Out came the tools and the search of V8SHO.com and the printout of the appropriate instructions. Those instructions for removing and replacing the top of the surge tank are excellent. Thanks for that.
I used the instructions located at www.v8sho.com/SHO/valvecovers.html as opposed to www.v8sho.com/SHO/HowToPulltheSurgeTankforRearPlugChange.htm
Using the valve covers version I don’t have to disassemble the upper intake from the surge tank and I get the great diagrams! J
For the Back Braces during the removal process:
A suggestion for a modification to the Surge Tank installation method (Step 10 Surge Tank Installation):
When following the instructions as written it is really a PITA to try and get everything lined up and no gap between the rubber tubes. Once I realized I could do it this way the tank installation and alignment went really quick.
All 8 of my coils exhibited micro cracks along the one inside corner from top to bottom of the coil.
All 8 of the coils had a star pattern of cracks surrounding the plastic pin from the case formation process on the bottom of the coil.
On two of them there were also long and rather wide cracks running from top to bottom on the flat portion of the coil. These are the two I suspect were causing my problems.
I will be testing all of the coils to see which ones are duds.
I can borrow a digital camera for some pictures if anyone wants.
The car runs great. Realizing that all observations are relative I think the car is definitely running better than it has since I can remember. It actually sounds different to me. Keep in mind that I have the FlowMasters on so I can hear much of what is happening under the hood from the exhaust tones. I don’t turn on the stereo at all when I am driving. I love the sound of the V8! That sound keeps me grinning everywhere I go, screaming from client to client! That’s what sold me on the car in the first place. J
Thus, I am pretty aware of how the car has been sounding since I put her on the road this spring.
The idle is smooth, there seems to be more power.
Thanks all for the knowledge that is available to us. It certainly brings peace of mind when one wants to take care of the car themselves.
Pax,
Phil Elder
97 ES
Welded, FlowMastered and now 8 new coils! :D
6/23/05
-----Original Message-----
From: John Breen <sho_squall@yahoo.com>
To: Larry Eck <showhat9@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 08:54:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Thanks to the website
Lar-
Finally got around to doing something about my SES light this past weekend. Light came on this past December from a dead coil on Cylinder #1. Using Al Primm's directions (http://ww2.v8sho.com/SHO/HowToPulltheSurgeTankforRearPlugChange.htm), I was able to get the job done in under 2 hours. Put the 4 worst looking coils in the front, and the new one in the back on Cyl #1, but if any others in the back bank go bad again, I don't think it'll be quite as bad to replace them.
Never really wanted to replace the rear coils, since I always heard horror stories of how it could be a full-day job. Those directions certainly helped take the bite out of the work.
Take care,
John Breen III